To Promote Peace but Commit Murder
by T-Shiro10
Summary: When a series of murders occurs in the backyard of the B.A.U, the team must brace themselves to face a killer like no other. Tensions rise and morals collide when hidden things come to light.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: Hey guys so this is my first fanfic and it is something that has been nagging me for the last little while so I thought eh why not write it out and see how it goes. This will contain FEMSLASH as well as excessive nerdiness :P so if that's not your cup of tea (or other beverage) then please find something else to read on this wonderful site. So in case you haven't figured it out this is a Criminal Minds fic that will focus on Emily and J.J at some point in the future. It will be rated T but that may change later depending on how things work out. Also I'm Canadian (eh?) so if my spelling confuses you (especially any Americans) I apologize. Everything belongs to their respective owners and sorry for the long A.N**

**Stay awesome (reviews are appreciated) and enjoy :)**

* * *

Emily Prentiss was many things. The daughter of an ambassador, accomplished agent, and closet nerd. An open book was not one of them. She did not wear her heart on her sleeve. Partly due to her upbringing and partly due to her job- Emily Prentiss did not like to advertise her feelings. Good thing too: as a profiler for the Behavioural Analysis Unit of the FBI, privacy is inadvertently very difficult to keep. It really isn't their fault, their job is to read the minute behavioural quirks of individuals (and they are the best of the best). You have to assume that they are able to read their peers let alone the Unsubs. With this in mind the fact that Emily is still able to keep secrets from her BAU family is quite an accomplishment.

Her family- the members of the BAU identify themselves as each other's surrogate family. They spend 70% of their time with each other anyhow. She loved every single one of them and would defend them fiercely. The brutality they face is easier to deal with when you have a group that supports you so wholeheartedly.

Emily was musing over the details of a case she was reviewing at her desk in the bullpen of the BAU. Reid was taking a break from his mountain of files by flying through his latest novel at an almost comical speed, while Morgan was preparing to launch a pen at said agent's head. Emily had to bite back a laugh as Reid was smacked right in the forehead by Morgan's missile, startling him. Reid struggled to stay in his seat as he shot a glare back at Morgan who was howling with laughter in his seat. Reid took a crumpled up piece of paper and shot it back at the laughing agent. Morgan ducked just as the ball of paper sailed completely off target into the unsuspecting face of their boss, Hotch, as he was walking by while reading a file.

Hotch looked up to see a very sheepish looking Reid, Morgan shaking with laughter under his desk, and Prentiss biting her lip and pointedly looking away trying to contain her laughter. He shot a glare at Reid and Morgan and said " Behave yourselves you two. We have a case, round-table room in 10. Grow up Morgan." and with that he left for his office biting back a smile. Reid let out a breath while Morgan got out from under his desk.

"Why did he chew me out when you're the one who chucked the paper at his face?" Morgan asked with the grin still plastered on his face.

"He knew you started it Morgan, and we all know that Reid has no coordination so he can't really blame him anyhow." replied Prentiss.

"It's not my fault you hit me with the pen first. I was almost done that book too!" quipped Reid.

"It's not like you are going to forget your place in the book genius!" said Morgan.

The three of them bantered back and forth on their way to the conference room where Hotch, JJ, and Garcia were waiting. As they entered the room Emily sent a small smile towards JJ as she took her usual seat. Garcia takes the remote and begins the presentation.

" Ok my lovelies, brace yourselves because this is a weird one and you know that we have seen the epitome of weird so me thinking this is weird is well, weird." she says in one breath.

"This case is local so we can do the entire debrief in here and meet the D.C police afterwards." says Hotch without looking up from his file.

"What the bossman said." replies Garcia "Ok my lovelies here we go. Here are John Carson, Gary Timmons, and Jessica Scheckter." she said as the images appeared on the screen. " John was found dead inside his condo two years ago, Gary was found dead in a park a year and a half ago, and Jessica was found three days ago on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial."

She continues " All three had single stab wounds to the heart which killed them almost instantly. There are no signs of a struggle at any of the crime scenes and no witnesses. The victims all lived in the D.C area but that is one of the only connections that the LEOs have made with the victims. Timmons was middle aged and married while Carson and Sheckter were single. The victims were of either middle to high class and different areas of employment. None of the victims knew each other and background checks are all clean at a glance." says the tech analyst.

"So how do the police know that its the same killer if there is so little connecting our vics?"

"Well my hunk of chocolate love I was just getting to that. At all three crime scenes was a note." she says as she brought up the image onto the screen.

"_Requiescat __in __pace_" Emily says, almost in a whisper.

"What does-"

"It is latin for rest in peace, often used by the Catholic church to mark the gravestones of their dead frequently abbreviated to R.I.P. It is quoted from the book of Isaiah and has also used frequently by Jews. In the first century B.C-"

"Thanks Boy Wonder I get the picture." Morgan replies before Reid could have a chance to go on a full rant. He turns to Prentiss "You know latin?" he says with an amused smirk.

"When I was in Italy I picked up a little."

"So what does all of this mean?" says J.J who had been quietly studying the file.

"Remorse?" Reid replies

Prentiss shakes her head. Something seemed familiar about this case but she just couldn't place it. She looks over the crime scene photos again. Everything was clean, calculated, targeted? But why? Jessica Scheckter's file intrigued her the most. Her body had been sitting on the steps, head slumped, between her legs. It made her look like she was just resting on the steps until the people walking by realised that she wasn't moving. Why was that pose familiar?

"Hey Garcia were there any other notes or messages found with the victims?"

The others stop discussing to hear the analyst's answer.

"No Princess, nothing else was found around the bodies. Why do you ask?"

"Something about this whole case seems really familiar but I can't seem to place what..."

She looks at the autopsy reports again. The coroner's reports indicate that the blade that was used was double edged and about four and a half inches in length. The first and third vics were stabbed from the front while the second was stabbed from behind. The examiner also noted the fact that the stab wounds ran horizontally instead of vertically. That was odd considering how people normally hold knives when they stab, most stab wounds were vertical. It almost reminded her of...

_Holy __shit__..._

Crazy. Impossible. Completely nutty. No one would...

The others were busy discussing time frame, M.O, victimology and all of the other details that were usually investigated during their cases as Emily sat and thought. No one had any idea as to why the victims were targeted and the strange M.O that the killer left behind. The lack of evidence was also disconcerting.

J.J watched Emily as she had her internal debate, a myriad of emotions and thoughts appearing on her face. She saw the confusion that had now settled on her friend's demeanor and asks,

"Hey Em you got something?"

Emily stops her train of thought and brings herself back to reality, glancing at her team but addressing J.J.

" I just had a crazy thought. Hey Garcia, can you pull up the crime scene photos for Jessica Scheckter?"

" Sure sugarplum."

The colourful tech analyst pulls up the crime scene photos again, cringing slightly at the sight of the body.

"She was placed in that position by the killer." Prentiss says " That was deliberate. Why though?" she asks the rest of the team.

"It is an unusual placement of the body. Along with the fact that it was placed in front of the Lincoln Memorial." replies Rossi.

" There is no evidence to suggest that the body was moved to the location so we can assume she was killed where she was found. As for the positioning of the body, it is deliberate but we don't know if it is to send a message or something else entirely." says Hotch to his older colleague.

" I think I have an idea as to who we are dealing with." Prentiss says much to the surprise of her team.

" What do you mean Em?"

"I mean I have seen all of this before in a sense Jayje." the raven-haired agent responds

Emily pauses and says, somewhat embarrassed

"_La__shay__' __haqiqah__, __koulo __shay__' __moumkin__._ Nothing is true, everything is permitted."

She glances at Reid who has a look of realization and astonishment on his face.

" It makes sense. The pose, the words, and even the stab wounds!" exclaims the young doctor " No wonder everything looked vaguely familiar-"

"Wait I thought you had an eidetic memory-" Prentiss says

"That means that I remember everything I read not necessarily everything I hear or see-"

"You know the Creed though?"

"Not completely but I came across it in an article about conspiracies and the effect-"

"Woah hold on could someone please explain what the hell is going on!" Morgan says putting his hands up "Cause I lost you Prentiss when you started speaking what I believe was Arabic."

Reid and Prentiss look up to see that the rest of the team had similar looks of confusion written on their faces.

Reid responds " Every aspect about this case is not original other than the victims, as in the killer, or possibly killers, are copying something they have seen before with an accuracy that is practiced and deadly. The fact that they have followed everything to a T so far is-"

"Terrifying" interjected Prentiss " What Reid is trying to say is that we are dealing with a killer or killers who are professional hitmen who follow a specific creed."

She let that information sink in, then says

"In other words we are dealing with the Assassins."

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N: So hi guys. Wow I did not expect the overwhelming response I got from the last chapter! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read, follow, review, and favourite. You all made me smile :) I forgot to mention (and I apologize for that) but this will be slightly A.U for many reasons. I have also changed the story rating for safety reasons. I am not placing this story in any season category but I can say that J.J and Will never happened (this will be mentioned later- I really don't like Will just as a heads up, oh and no Henry sorry :( I have no way of incorporating him in while keeping to the story) and Doyle has not happened...yet ;) Also I have introduced an O.C who will be quite important to the story. I hope that you all get a feel for the character as she will be here for a while. On a side note I am currently visiting a family friend in Virginia (hi to all my readers from the states!) so it took quite a bit of work getting this together. Also most chapters wont be anywhere near as long as this. I will try and post twice a week if I can but no promises. **

**Ok A.N done, hope you enjoy.**

_**Carpe Diem**_

* * *

There is silence in the round table room as the team digests what Reid and Prentiss suggested.

"Let me explain. This unsub is following a game. A video game." Emily says after a moment

She goes on to to explain that in the game Assassins Creed, there were two factions: the Assassins and the Templars. The assassins were essentially the good guys who quote " work in the dark to serve the light." The unsub seems to be using the same weapons and techniques as the iconic Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The assassin's main weapon is the hidden blade; it rests in a mechanism strapped to the wrist which releases and sheaths the blade. Since the blade is strapped to the bottom of the wrist, the blade is parallel to the ground when someone stabs with it.

"So wait how does the way Scheckter was posed fit into all of this?" asks the now slightly amused Morgan

"Well," starts Emily "one of Ezio's signature moves was to sit on a bench near his unsuspecting target, then when they got close, he would stab them with his blade, masking his movements by making it look like a hug, then place them on the bench he was sitting on to avoid drawing attention as he got away."

"I didn't think you were much of a gamer Princess." laughs Morgan

Emily blushed slightly at this but then got serious

"Hotch, while this person is imitating a fictional Renaissance assassin, he or she is not a novice when it comes to killing. All three of these kills are too skilled, to precise for it to be their first. We are talking about someone who is in a sense, a professional."

Hotch nodded grimly then thought for a moment

"Let me make a call. Prentiss, Reid good job on making the connection. We should get familiar with this game or at least some aspects of it. Garcia, I want thorough background checks on these people. Assassins kill for a reason, I want to know why these people were killed and who would want them dead. The rest of you get a general profile together."

"Wait Hotch- if we are dealing with an actual assassin, this could be a lot bigger that we know." Morgan says with a slight frown

"I know. Until we know for sure, we have to tackle this like any other case."

With that Hotch leaves the round-table room, the sound of Reid beginning a "short" history lesson on assassins reaching his ears as he walks to his office. He reaches for his phone and dials,

"Hello this is SSA Aaron Hotchner of the F.B.I's Behavioural Analysis Unit. We have a situation." he pauses to listen for a moment " Of course Director, we will wait until they are here. We are going over the information now. No sir, that will not be an issue. I trust them all completely. Yes sir."

* * *

"We are dealing with at least two unsubs." J.J says after Reid and Prentiss have filled in the rest of the team on what they knew about assassins. "One who does the actual killing and another who provides the targets and is probably the one who fuels the delusions of the killer."

"Well until Garcia comes up with a connection between our vics we have very little to go on. Assassins are mostly influenced by outside forces, unlike the typical serial killer who is motivated by some inner sadistic force." Rossi comments

"How does someone even find an assassin to hire? I mean its not like its going to be advertised in the local paper or anything." says J.J

Emily replies to the blonde agent "Money. Those who have money will have the resources. When I was with Interpol, we had several suspected assassins on our most wanted list. Assassins are normally contracted by crime lords to eliminate other crime lords and rarely make the public assassinations that we associate with the word today."

"Why is that?" J.J asks, now intrigued by the knowledge that Emily seemed to have on the subject.

"Simple really. It draws too much attention and assassins live on anonymity. Even the ones that caught the attention of Interpol are only known by their aliases so it is nearly impossible to track them."

" That doesn't mean you can't." says an unfamiliar voice

The team turns around to find Hotch and a girl standing in the doorway. Hotch pauses before addressing his team.

"This unsub operates in a world that we are unfamiliar and unequipped to deal with on our own. As well this unsub has gathered the attention of some of our superiors, including the Director himself. They have sent over someone who is somewhat of an expert when it comes to what we are dealing with." He turns to the girl "I will leave the rest of the introduction to you."

While Hotch was speaking, Emily took the chance to observe the girl. She couldn't have been more than 25, about 5'5 and had an athletic build. Her hair was brunette, straight and shoulder length, framing a face that had deep brown, almost black, eyes. She was wearing a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt and dark wash skinny jeans. When Emily looked closer she could see the faint outline of a scar running through her right eyebrow. She found those deep mahogany eyes staring back at her now as the girl sported a slight smirk. The girl seemed amused at the fact that the rest of the team had spent the majority of Hotch's brief intro trying to profile her.

_I know those eyes. Who is this girl and where have I met her before?_

She glances at the rest of her team and found them mirroring her expression; curiosity and apprehension but none had the flicker of recognition that she seemed to have. J.J looks at Emily, eyebrow raised slightly as a silent question to her friend. Emily shrugs a little to express her lack of knowledge on their new guest.

All of a sudden, the back door bursts open and a certain colourful tech-analyst barrels in

"Sir my babies have started digging but this may take a while since the search parameters are so large because we are looking for any overlap between our victims and I am literally looking for ANYTHING, like if they ever bought milk from the same grocery store or used the same public bathroom, I mean if there is anything on record anywhere I will find it like-" she stops,

"Oh, did I interrupt something? I interrupted something didn't I? You all have your _I'm a serious F.B. I_ _agent_ face on which you usually use to try and intimidate new people but is completely pointless against me cause its me and oh." Garcia stops, finally spotting the stranger in the room " Hi I'm the resident tech analyst, Oracle , and goddess extraordinaire but you can call me Penelope Garcia" she says with a wave and a smile.

Morgan smacks his forehead lightly trying to hide a laugh at the analyst's antics, while Emily has to try and suppress a giggle herself, pointedly avoiding J.J's who was also suppressing a laugh by biting her lip, knowing that if they made eye contact she would probably lose it. Hotch mumbles something about a drug test, while the girl who had yet said had a slightly wider smirk on her face.

"I am aware of who you are Penelope Garcia," she says with the slightest of chuckles, "and what I have heard doesn't do you justice. It is an honour and pleasure to meet you." she said with a slight bow of her head in Garcia's direction.

Garcia beams at this and takes a seat.

"With that I would like to say that it is an honour and pleasure to meet you agents David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jareau, Emily Prentiss, and Dr. Spencer Reid." she says, nodding and bowing slightly at each agent as she said their names, " It is a privilege to be able to work with some of the finest agents the F.B.I has to offer." she pauses before continuing "I must say before I reveal anything further that I am placing a great amount of trust in this team and it's members. None of what you are about to hear is to ever be discussed in public and must remain confidential. If it wasn't for the honour and integrity that this team has displayed and clearly embodies I wouldn't have considered contacting the Director with my offer to aid him. With that in mind do you still want to take this case? If you wont adhere to the level of confidentiality that I require, I will walk out and you will never hear from me again."

Again she pauses, looking to every member of the team, her nearly onyx orbs boring into the eyes of each agent, testing their resolve. Each member held the eye contact, silent confirmations of their willingness to take on the case. Onyx met chocolate brown and again Emily felt that flicker of recognition that she couldn't place.

With the team's cooperation, the girl steps into the room with Hotch following, closing the door behind him. She goes to stand in front of the monitor and clasps her hands behind her back.

" Let me start off with my name. While my real name is no longer on any records and is unimportant, those who know me call me Ace. I am not directly associated with any government agencies or private companies but I do take contracts from both if necessary."

Emily realizes what she was saying

Ace answers her silent question

"To put it simply I am an assassin."

A brief flash of fear courses through Emily for a brief moment. That dissipates as quickly as it came however and then she began to wonder.

_So young, how much experience could this girl possibly have? A real assassin? She is taking a huge risk by revealing herself. Why? What is her story..._

This girl, Ace, seemed to sense the questions and even slight disbelief at her revelation.

"I cannot answer many of your questions for obvious reasons but I will do what I can while we work together over the next little while. The most obvious question I can guess you all have is regarding my age and experience." she looks down before continuing "Age is not important when it comes to the job I do as for experience."

To Emily's surprise Ace turns to her and says to her even greater shock "_Je suis le Fantôme." _

Emily sat there stunned. She could feel the questioning gazes of her teammates but was trying to wrap her head around this new information. She stares at Ace, with a slightly awed expression. "_Ce n'est pas possible.__"_

"_C'est vrai." _she says "_Cent yeux." _

Emily's eyebrows rose.

"I hate to break up this little bonding session but can someone please explain what the hell is going on?" asks a confused Morgan

Emily turns to her colleagues

"Remember how I was telling you about that list that Interpol has? Well one of the names on that list was of an assassin who had taken down some large crime bosses all over Europe- or at least we assumed that they were killed but there was no proof since the bodies have never been found. The person responsible was never caught and never left any evidence. One of the brief instances that Interpol actually came in contact with the individual was when an agent was working undercover for an organization known as "Hundred Eyes"- a black market information broker which the assassin infiltrated and undermined. The agent undercover received an unmarked note asking him to bail his investigation for his own safety as within 48 hours Hundred Eyes would cease to exist. The agent presented the note to his superiors who bailed him immediately. Sure enough the organization crumbled without any evidence as to how someone could have done so. After connecting this case to some others, Interpol gave them the name _le Fant__ô__me_, quite literally 'the Ghost'."

The others sat there, now as stunned as she was. They were just beginning to realize the sheer depth of this girl with striking eyes could possibly have.

Ace then spoke " I cannot and wont go much further into detail, all I can say is that I am here to do a job and that is to catch this bastard. In this business anonymity is not merely a skill, its a rule. To be so obvious and public is putting himself and others in unspeakable danger. Catching him before this gets out of hand is my number one priority."

The sudden sound of a phone vibrating stops her from continuing

"I have to take this." she says without looking at the screen. She walks out of the conference room closing the door behind her.

Once the door closes, a thick silence settles in the room.

"I realize that this all is quite overwhelming but we still have to keep our focus on this case. " Hotch says, breaking through everyone's thoughts.

"Hey Hotch, how can we trust her? And what are her motives for doing this case? Why put yourself in as much danger as she has insisted she is when all you are going after is one loony assassin? Something doesn't add up here." Morgan says with a slight frown

"I think we have to trust her. She is our best chance of catching the unsub" J.J says quietly "and even if I could I don't think she is trying to deceive us or anything. I think she needs our help as much as we need hers."

Emily turns to J.J "How so?"

J.J looks up at Emily and then her team, noting the confused looks she was receiving. "Did you guys not see it? Her eyes?" to everyone's surprise only Garcia nodded in understanding a sad smile on her face.

"Oh come on guys, for a bunch of profilers you really miss the obvious." Garcia says

J.J turns to her dark-haired friend, her piercing blue eyes meeting Emily's rich brown.

"She has the saddest, most haunted eyes I have ever seen." J.J states, her voice tinged with slight sorrow.

* * *

**Thoughts? Any mistakes are mine especially the parts written in (Canadian) french. If you need any parts clarified please let me know and I will do my best. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N:Soo... I am so sorry for the delay. My muse went on vacation and decided to stay there. I really had to bust my ass for this one. To anyone who is wondering when there will be action, excitement, guns, and all that jazz it will happen, just need backstory to be established. A little more Em and J.J in this one (Jemily will happen ppl just need time). So to anyone who started school again hope things are going well. Uni starts on Monday for me (yay frosh week for delaying school!) So I will be busy and my ADD doesn't help with my focus but I will try and update frequently-no promises. I do have a plan for this fic though so I won't give up on it!**

**Thank you to anyone and everyone who has read, followed, favourited, and reviewed. **

**Special thanks to anyone who reviewed I send you an epic *fist bump***

**As always, everything belongs to their respective owners, unless that lottery ticket I'm planning on buying works out for me...**

**Stay golden**

* * *

Ace had been gone for only a few minutes for her phone call and Hotch had sent them off to survey the crime scenes. Reid and Rossi were off to the first victim's house while Emily, J.J, Morgan and Ace were off to the second. Hotch asked them to meet up at the third crime scene and then head to the precinct to regroup. They had all gone to the parking lot when Ace turned to Morgan,

"I will follow you guys to the crime scenes from my car."

"Ok little lady, are you sure you're gonna be able to keep up?" Morgan says with a cheeky grin

"Morgan is quite famous for his terrible driving." quips Reid

"Hey I'm not terrible!"

"Well maybe not terrible but you tend to ignore the speed limit most of the time Derek" J.J says to a grinning Morgan

Aces watches the interaction with a small grin as she pulls on her sunglasses which had been hanging from her shirt.

"I don't think I will have many problems keeping up Agent Morgan" Ace replies with a small smirk as she points her car keys towards her vehicle and pushes the button to unlock it.

Five heads turn towards where she is pointing. Morgan lets out a low whistle, eyes going wide, which for once, Emily totally agrees with. Her eyebrows rise as she takes in the sight. Sitting twenty feet away from them was a sleek, matte black BMW X5 M G Power. Cars were a guilty pleasure of Emily, owning several nice models herself, but not this particular model. Emily glances over at Rossi who is also slightly taken aback at the sight. They make eye-contact and both think the same thing. Not only is the car one of the fastest available cars on the market but it is also _fucking ridiculously_ expensive. Definitely not available on a normal salary.

Ace broke them all out of their trance as she turns towards her car

"Now the real question is whether you can keep up with me Agents" and with a small smirk she walks away.

The ride to the crime scene was silent as the three agents were each deep in thought. Morgan glances at the rear-view mirror to check on Ace.

"Hey Em, what's with the scowl?"

Emily pulls herself out of her thoughts and turns to the blonde agent

"I'm sorry Jayje, what did you say?"

"I asked why you were scowling. You have also been really quiet today. What's going through that head of yours?"

"I have a bad feeling about this case thats all." Emily says trying to brush off J.J's question. She wasn't sure what was throwing her off so much.

J.J nods but Emily knows that the blonde has not dropped the subject entirely.

They arrive at the crime scene in record time (with the help of the surprising lack of traffic and Morgan's driving) and pull up next to the squad cars. The police had tried their best to recreate the old crime scene for the benefit of the agents. They flash their badges at the officer standing behind the crime scene tape and head towards the area where the body was found.

Morgan turns to Ace with a slight scowl

"Didn't know you were an Agent, Agent."

"I'm not. The Director had it issued to me just for the duration of this case for things such as checking out crime scenes. In case Agent Hotchner forgot to mention, I will not be making any arrests, and officially I was never here."

She then turns and surveys the area. Timmons had been found face up lying under a tree, his watch, wallet, and the keys to his car were all still in place so the police had ruled out robbery as a motive.

Emily looks around

"This place is not too far off the beaten path but it doesn't look like it gets too much foot traffic."

"Yeah I agree Em I think that dog walkers and people on their morning jog use this place more than anyone."

"Prentiss would you agree with me if I said that Timmons didn't just happen to wander in here? I mean probably wasn't jogging, especially since he lives and works across town and doesn't have a dog to walk."

"Then he must have been meeting someone. Can you call Garcia and ask her if Timmons had scheduled to meet someone close to his death?"

The dark-skinned agent nods and pulls out his cell to call the tech-analyst.

Emily turns around and sees J.J, but she can't locate Ace.

"Jayje, where is Ace?"

The blonde agent looks around and then turns to Emily

"I have no idea. She was here a second ago."

"Still here Agents"

Emily is surprised to hear the voice come from _above_ her.

She and J.J look up to find the dark-haired assassin crouching from high in the tree next to where the body was found.

"It seems that our friend was lying in wait for your vic up here. I can see an old cut in the tree from where they scrapped at while waiting. I guess they were here for a while in wait and got bored, until Timmons actually showed up."

Right then Morgan returns from his call

"Hey what are you lookin- woah! How did she get up there?"

"I flew Agent Morgan."

"Great another smart mouth, you and Emily will get along just fine." he says with a chuckle

Emily gives him a light slap on his arm

Ace climbs down with practiced skill and gracefully lands on the ground then dusts her hands off on her jeans.

"Does Garcia have any leads for us?'

"Nope, the opposite really. Nothing connects these people. They have no common denominator. They have never come in contact with each other in any way. Its left Garcia extremely frustrated and us without proper victimology." Morgan says with a frustrated sigh.

"Actually Agent Morgan we have a clear profile on your 'Unsub' as you call them."

The three agents turn towards the young assassin, slight confusion on their faces.

"Elaborate."

"Well you guys are still in the mindset of a serial killer- what you normally profile- not an assassin. Your victims are unrelated in any because they are meant to be. They are- as cruel as this may sound- practice."

Ace points at the tree that she had been in not 10 minutes ago.

"He or she is practicing tracking and killing from many different positions and situations. While serial killers usually choose their victims based on their perverted preferences, assassins are usually given a target. Your vics were chosen _because_ they are not related, which gives this person a chance to, lets say, hone, their skill before executing their real target."

The young assassin's face gets dark as she continues

"We are looking at two, maybe even three, unsubs."

Before Morgan could ask Ace puts one finger up

"One who is doing the actual killing at this point, lets call them the apprentice because that is what they are." she counts another finger off "another who is the master, teacher, sensei, whatever. He or she has not killed to our knowledge and his teaching the apprentice the art." one final finger goes up "Finally a possible third person who is calling the shots. This could be the master or a totally different person who has hired the assassins to take out a certain target or targets. This person would have to be incredibly wealthy to have hired these individuals though."

The last part she says mostly to herself but the agents catch it

"Morgan can you call the others and give them the rundown?"

"Sure Prentiss, meet me at the car when you are finished so we can head to the third crime scene"

She nods as he walks off, phone already out and dialing

"How do you know all of this?"

Emily turns to J.J noting the slight sadness on her face.

Ace turns to the agent, sky blue meeting dark brown

"Agent Jareau-"

"it's J.J" corrects the blonde agent

"My apologies" she says with a slight _bow_? Emily shakes her head

_She would fit right in at my mother's parties, but unlike the snobbish attitude that everyone there seems to have, she is genuinely being polite. It reminds me of...me? _

"J.J, your team and I are a lot alike. We are both hunters. Who we hunt may vary but the techniques we use are quite similar." she continues to hold J.J's gaze " We put ourselves in the mindset of our targets, trying to understand how they think, perceive and act, so that we can predict what they will do. Then we strike. You strike most of the time not knowing who you are hunting until the end, but I know my targets sometimes better than they know themselves. You hunt people who hurt innocents, unsubs who are broken people, suffering from the compulsions their mind sets on them, powerless to their condition." she breaks eye contact and looks up at the sky "I hunt people who are most of the time in full control of their actions, who don't suffer from anything other than greed, who become much too powerful and tyrannical for the good of others, but most of my targets are very human. Some have probably been slightly sociopathic, many a little egotistical, but few were truly evil."

J.J blinks in slight shock. "Then why do you do it?"

Ace looks back at the agent "Someone has to."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hi again! I know the last chapter was a little shorter than usual and I apologize for that. **

**My friend Zephyr4000 helped me a bit with this one so high five to you my friend. You all should go check out her Mass Effect story, Deeds of the Few, fanfic dot net /s/9295367/20/Deeds-of-the-Few. That is the only ad I will ever do in any AN. Do check it out though its great!**

**There is quite a bit of Garcia in this chapter people. I had wayy too much fun writing her lines- which is ironic because I'm not like her at all- so you may see I went a _teensy_ bit overboard...**

**Slight cliffy at the end (sorry!) I promise to update soon. This is a small bit of fluffy fun before the shit hits the fan so enjoy!**

**Stay golden**

**~shiro**

* * *

Back in their SUV and on their way to the third crime scene, Morgan's phone rings.

"It's Garcia. Hey Baby-Girl you're on speaker."

"Hello my pretties! Where is my favourite sexy, dark, brooding, and dangerous femme fatale?"

"I'm right here, Pen," Prentiss responds with a slight chuckle.

"No! No! Not you, Prentiss, I meant our favourite assassin."

Emily rolls her eyes, "Thanks, Garcia."

"Oooh ouch! Prentiss, you've been demoted!" Morgan chuckles, and Emily catches J.J out of the corner of her eye trying to hide a laugh by biting her lip and looking out the window.

"Em, sweetheart, don't get me wrong, you _are_ sexy, dark and brooding. But not dangerous. Sure, you may have a gun and badge but you're all fluffy and cuddly on the inside."

"_Fluffy and CUDDLY?_" replies the dark haired agent as Morgan and J.J now roar with laughter. "I'm not cuddly! How the hell is someone dark, sexy _and cuddly_?!"

"Sorry, E, but you're a softy at heart, my sweet care bear. That whole butch look that you're trying to pull off doesn't fool the Oracle of Knowledge and Goddess of Quantico over here. I bet you're a snuggler in private. Wait, you're the big spoon huh Em? Yup I can see it Emily Prentiss-"

"Garciaaaa!" Emily says with a groan as she tries to ignore the now hysterical laughter from her colleagues.

"I think you're right, Pen," Derek says in between trying to catch his breath (and failing miserably) while attempting to drive in a straight line, "Prentiss is blushing something fierce over here."

"See I told you I know all. Don't you worry, Em. I know some guys and quite a few ladies are into that sorta thing. Which is good considering you have been single for too long my friend. I mean I'm totally into guys but anyone can tell you are smokin' hot, Prentiss. And really what's with the lack of a significant other?"

"How the hell do you know that I'm single- wait, you know what, nevermind"

"Good, cause I would have stored that potential question in the dumb category which I rarely have to do with you."

Emily grumbled to herself, "Now before I lose whatever is left of my dignity can you please tell us the real reason why you called?"

"Oh right, sorry. I just wanted to update you on some things. Reid and Rossi found no evidence of a break in or of theft, like the authorities had noted, but they did find some scratches on the edge of the balcony where someone could have sat and waited for the victim, or could have climbed up. As for looking for our mystery assassins, that is proving difficult. My babies are working on it though and I will call as soon as they divulge their secrets to me. Toodles peaches! Garcia out!"

"Drugs, definitely drugs..." Emily grumbles, still slightly flushed.

"Aww, Prentiss, cheer up. Do you need a hug when we get out? I mean you are a - ow! Hey I'm driving!"

"Then focus on the road before you kill us, Morgan!"

Emily glances at J.J who's eyes are shining from laughing so hard.

The blonde agent arches a brow and sends a playful wink her way, and before Emily could respond her phone rings.

She looks at the screen and scowls slightly.

_Unknown Number._

"Prentiss."

"Agent Prentiss, it's Ace. It seems like we are being tailed. One dark SUV, tinted windows, and from what my people tell me, stolen plates. I don't want to make this sound bigger than it is- after all it could be nothing, but I'm not taking that chance. Can you put this on speaker?"

Emily turns to the other agents, "It's Ace. We are being tailed"

She hits the speaker button, "Ok speaker's on."

"Agents, I don't want to take any unnecessary risks with this. My people are already trying to figure out who's on our asses but while that is happening I want to lose these idiots. One car can't follow two people. Morgan, speed up, and at the next light I need you to make a sudden right, and I mean sudden, then get out of sight. ASAP. The car will have no choice but to follow me and then I will deal with it. I will rendezvous with you and the others there. If something comes up I will call. But if you do not hear from me in the next hour assume the worst. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." replies Morgan

"Hit the sirens to clear traffic for a bit if you have to, but turn it off once you are out of view."

The agent does what he is told, hitting the gas and blaring the sirens as he approaches the light.

"Hold onto your hats, things are about to get ugly."

And with that the call ends

Emily and J.J brace themselves as Morgan twists the wheel sharply to the right, sending their SUV flying on two wheels around the corner. Morgan struggles with the wheel for a bit before he regains control, his foot still firmly on the gas. Emily catches the black BMW and another dark SUV speed past in the rearview mirror.

"Morgan, you can ease up a bit!"

"Lemme get us away from here first, in case that car decides to do a Uey and comes looking for us."

Morgan then guides the car through a couple of twists and turns before setting them on a more roundabout course for the crime scene. With each turn the speedometer creeps lower before settling comfortably on the normal speed limit.

* * *

The three, slightly frazzled, agents arrive at the crime scene where Rossi and Reid were waiting.

"There you are. We were about to call Garcia and have her track you down," says Rossi as he approaches them with Reid following behind.

He stops when he reaches them and frowns.

"What happened?" he asks taking in the other agents' demeanor, "and where's Ace?"

"Let me conference call Hotch and Garcia first. They both need to hear this," Prentiss says. She calls Hotch first and then links up with Garcia.

"What can I do you for, my cuddly little panda bear?"

Emily blushes slightly as J.J and Morgan giggle at Garcia's antics, while Rossi looks on amused and Reid looking slightly confused.

"Garcia, you are on conference call with Hotch and the rest of us."

"Oh hi guys, that means my fave little assassin is there. I wanted to ask where she got that sick jacket from. I mean I loves me a nice leather jacket, don't you Em? They-"

"Garcia! Ace is not here with us. That's why we are calling."

Emily then explains how they were being followed and Ace drawing them away from the agents.

"She said that she would meet us here and if there had been no contact with her in the next hour to assume the worst," she checks her watch, "It's been about half an hour since we separated so we should expect something soon."

There was silence among the agents for a moment before Hotch spoke:

"How did she get your number, Prentiss?"

"I don't know, Hotch, but I think this girl knows quite a bit about us, and has the resources to find the info she needs. Assassins are nothing without information after all."

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but I've just been looking through some feeds to see if I can locate our stormy-eyed friend and it looks like someone has reported a black SUV that had crashed into a fire hydrant about 15 miles from where you split. No reports on injuries, looks like the driver fled the scene."

The agents let out a collective sigh of relief as they hear the news. Just then they see the familiar sleek BMW roll up next to them.

The assassin steps out of the car and pulls on her shades, then turns to the agents who are looking at her expectantly.

"What?" she says, almost nonchalantly, and with that small smirk of her's, "do I have something on my face?"

"We are on the phone with Hotch and Garcia. What the hell happened?" Emily replies.

"The guy who was tailing me didn't realize that his stolen SUV doesn't handle like my ride does, and took a turn going faster than he should have. He ran off before I could do anything though, and I could hear sirens in the distance so I came right here after. Traffic was a bitch on the way here," she says with slight amusement but then her face becomes serious.

"Agent Hotchner, I had my suspicions from the start of this case but they grow with each passing moment. After we check out this scene I would like to debrief you and your agents privately. Things may be a lot more complicated than expected."

"That can be arranged. When you guys are finished, head to the precinct. I have our stuff set up in the back room," Hotch says through the speakers, "Stay safe."

"Don't forget to call me when you have your secret meeting, my lovlies! Glad you're safe A! Garcia is also out!"

With that the call ends.

This crime scene was bustling with more activity as Jessica Scheckter was only found three days ago. The agents talk with the local authorities but nothing new had come up in the investigation.

"Don't you guys find it ironic that this victim was assassinated in front of the Lincoln Memorial?" Reid asks, "I mean it's dedicated and named after one the most famous assassination victims in history, President Lincoln, who was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth on Good Friday, the exact date being-"

"April 14th 1865" Ace states to Reid's surprise.

"Right, but what few people remember is that Booth had two co-conspirators who were assigned to kill the Secretary of State and the Vice-President. With the death of these three figureheads, he hoped to revive the Confederate cause. Luckily neither of the other assassination attempts succeeded."

The others contemplate Reid's uncharacteristically short history lesson while they continue to try and glean information from the crime scene. Unable to find anything of significance they head towards the precinct.

As they pull up to the precinct Ace's phone rings. Frowning she picks it up.

"Speak."

She stops walking and swears.

"Fuck it. Where? Shit, ok, I want you and Tiny to work on this. You know the drill. Any red flags mean-" she rolls her eyes, "I know you know but that doesn't mean I don't have to remind you," she pauses for a brief moment, "Who's the boss?" slight pause, "Yeah and watch your asses, remember the last time you guys fell head first into 6 feet of shit?" pause, "No I am never going to let that go. Cover your tracks and keep me posted."

She hangs up and sees Agent Hotchner walking out of the precinct towards them, hanging up on his cell as well.

He looks at Ace and nods both with grim expressions.

Hotch speaks to his team, "This case is now being handled by the F.B.I. Homeland Security, and the C.I.A have also offered to help but we have declined. That would generate too much buzz that our unsub might catch on to."

"Wait, how did this go from local to the Bureau? We don't normally take cases unless-" J.J pauses, "There is another body isn't there."

Hotch and Ace nod glumly. Rossi and Morgan swear colourfully while Reid and Emily frown.

"Where?" Prentiss asks slight anger in her tone.

"Buffalo, NY," Hotch answers, "The vic was a federal agent and this time our unsub has left a message."

"Who will hunt the hunter? I am but a piece. A man with a part to play. Progress demands sacrifice. Family is a bond of blood." the assassin recites from memory, " He is quoting the game again, or at least partly. Agent Hotchner, I have called in some reinforcements of a sort. My team will be assisting with your investigation but their main goal will be your team's safety." she stops before continuing, apprehension crossing her face as she considers what she is about to say

" I was hoping to have this conversation later and in a more private location but it looks like this will have to do. I wasn't completely truthful with your team earlier. It wasn't a trust issue per say I just wanted more facts before I could make any conclusions. That message confirms my suspicions. I know the identity of our unsub."

She puts her hand up as the agents begin firing questions at her.

"We can discuss the finer points later on the jet to Buffalo, but you all need to know this for your safety and mine. I have been tracking his movements for some time now and that is what initially led me to this case. I heard a little while back that he had moved to the D.C area. Didn't believe it at first for various reasons but looks like the rumors are true. What I can tell you is that you all are now potential targets. Partly for being involved in this case but mostly for associating with me."

"What the hell would this bastard have against you? Same mentor and all" Rossi asks

Ace replies with a cold chuckle "You could say that my brother and I don't get along."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hey... So I apologize for the delay. Uni is crazy and is making it difficult to find time to type! I am not giving up on this though. I will try and update every week-ish so please be patient! To everyone who reviewed- THANK YOU! you made me happy! To everyone who has read, followed, faved, etc thank you for taking the time to read. Who is excited for the new season? Ep 200 is going to be J.J centric(YAY) so looking forward to that. Miss Prentiss more than anything though (even if J.J is my fave you can't have Jemily without Emily...). On that note everything belongs to their respective owners. Suggestions, comments, etc are welcome just review or PM me and I will respond! Oh and it's so cool that author's who's fics I love are following this story! Thanks so much! Well I'm tired and should head off to bed. **

**Stay hungry, stay foolish- Steve Jobs**

* * *

_Silence is golden_, or at least that's what they say. Emily ponders this statement.

_Well in this moment silence is somber, heavy, and a little awkward..._

"Wait, so you mean to tell me the guy who has killed three people and a federal agent is YOUR BROTHER?" Morgan shouts angrily

"I do believe that is what I said Agent." Ace responds sardonically

"Do you know how many levels of fucked up this is? Why the hell are you telling us now? Why the hell does he have an issue with you? How do we know we can trust you? He is your brother after all. You could be leading us in circles! Or even into his trap! How dare you jeopardize us like-"

"Agent Morgan, I suggest you stop before you say something that you regret. Don't you dare think for a minute that I haven't done _everything_ in my power to keep you and your team safe. Remember who saved your ass a couple of hours ago? I am sorry that I haven't been totally upfront with you and your team but you can understand my apprehension. You can say what you want Agent but I _never_ put anyone in unnecessary risk if I can help it." the young assassin replies with anger,

"I will see you all at the airport. I assume our flight will be ready by then."

she then turns on her heel and heads for her car. The other agents are stunned into that awkward silence again.

"Morgan, what the hell was that for?!"

To everyone's surprise it's J.J who lashes out at the other agent.

"She has done nothing but help us and you repay her by lashing at her? Sure she kept stuff from us but you can hardly blame her for wanting more concrete evidence. You need to apologize Derek. Oh and Em you drive. I'll take shotgun. Give her the keys Morgan."

With that the blonde agent walks over to the SUV and slamming the door closed as she gets in.

Emily's eyebrows raise as she watches J.J stalk off. It seems the blonde has become quite attached to their assassin. She turns to Morgan who now looks a little sheepish. Even Reid was glaring at him.

"That was really tactless Morgan," Emily says "Ace is out of her comfort zone as much as we are, even more if you think about it. You really should apologize. I also think you should go with Hotch, Rossi, and Reid. to the airport. We will see you there."

Emily then turns towards the SUV as the men collectively head towards the other vehicle, Morgan's head hanging low.

She climbs into the driver's side and looks over at J.J, who is staring out the window lost in thought.

Emily sighs to herself and starts the SUV, heading out of the precinct and towards the airport.

* * *

Emily couldn't remember a more uncomfortable jet ride. Thank heavens it was only a two-hour journey. Morgan is listening to his music in the corner, avoiding contact with Ace and J.J, Reid is reading-_something_- in what looked like Russian, Rossi and Hotch are reading over case files, and Ace is staring out of the window- _fidgeting_. Emily stares incredulously as the young assassin actually begins _picking at her nails_.

"She does it too you know."

"Shit J.J you scared me!"

"Sorry Em." J.J had been making herself another cup of coffee (her third today) when she noticed Emily studying their young assassin.

"The nails thing. You do it too when you're stressed. Like now." the blonde says with a slight chuckle as she points to Emily's fingers.

The agent looks down and stops picking to fold her hands across her lap.

"Bad habit I guess." the dark-haired agent replies "I don't think we're stressed about the same thing though."

"I don't like planes." the assassin remarks suddenly, without shifting her gaze from the window, "Too many things can go wrong when you're 30 000 plus feet in the air."

She frowns as she thinks for a moment,

"Agent Hotchner, the agent's body was found in a warehouse correct?"

Hotch confirms with a nod.

"Local PD have tried securing the area but have been unsuccessful. A lot of the area is under construction. They have officers waiting for us to take us to the crime scene."

"And I am assuming you are aware that we could be walking into a trap."

"I have considered the possibility and I have notified the local SWAT team to be ready for our call."

"We cannot involve SWAT. If this is a trap, we don't want any suicide by cops. These guys are probably hired guns- mercenaries. They are loyal to their boss and their money- jail isn't an option. No rats either, they would rather die than talk to law enforcement. If they see us charging in with the big guns we won't gain anything. I have a distinct feeling that this is a trap, but what I am trying to figure out is who they are trying to trap?"

she let that question hang for a moment before continuing,

"Agents Prentiss, Jareau and Morgan will go through the front entrance with LEO. Agents Rossi, Reid, Hotchner and I will go through a side entrance."

"Side entrance?" asks Hotch,

"My people found the blueprints to the site and spotted a side door. It might be a bit tricky to find but should be clear once we actually get into the building. Kevlar on everyone, things might get interesting."

* * *

The agents and assassin arrive at a creepy abandoned warehouse. Rubble, junk and rust litter the scene just beyond the 8 ft high chain link fence that blocks off the area. The whole scene gave Emily the chills, as they approach the two officers who are waiting by the gate.

"Agents. Name is Officer Holland. Here is my partner Officer Kim. We were told to wait for your orders before heading in to see the scene."

"Why is this area abandoned?" Reid asks shoving his hands in his pockets,

"The developers found out that none of the utilities in the warehouse were up to date and that the soil was contaminated. The cost would have been ten times as much as they were willing to invest so they scrapped the project midway through demo. No one really goes around here much except for the odd gang of teens or the odd homeless man. Then some kid nearly died when some metal fell on him while he was smoking with his friends. After that they fenced this area off."

"So why was the agent in the warehouse anyhow?"

The officer shrugs, "No idea. Thought you guys would know."

He then turns to his partner, "Wait here and keep a lookout. I will radio you if I need anything."

The other officer heads back to the squad car parked just outside the gate.

"Officer, if you don't mind, half of us will take a look around the building before we head in. Agents Morgan, Prentiss and Jareau," He nods to each agent as he names them, "will go with you in the front."

"Whatever you say." he then turns to the young assassin "Where's your Kevlar little lady? Don't they teach you at the Bureau that bullets can go through leather?" he says with a snide smirk.

Ace stares at him, eyes impassive and slightly cold "You don't need Kevlar if you don't plan on getting hit, _officer_." she says pulling out her FN Five-Seven from a carefully concealed holster on her back.

"Lets go Hotch." and with that Ace, Hotch, Reid, and Rossi head towards a small path that goes around the bulk of the warehouse.

The officer turns to the rest of the agents "Well let's get this show on the road." with that he pulls out his Colt and leads the agents into the warehouse.

Emily pulls out her flashlight as she steps into the dimly lit entrance. J.J and Morgan take up their positions beside her, with the LEO taking point. From what Emily could see, everything was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime, sheets of metal hanging and peeling off of the walls. Nothing stood out as they slowly made their way into the heart of the building, their footsteps muffled by the dust beneath their feet. As they enter the main room they see the body laying face up in the middle of the room. Emily, Morgan and the officer approach the body with quick steps.

"He hasn't been here long has he." says Morgan noting the lack of putrefaction.

" And it looks like he was dumped here. Single gunshot wound but there is minimal amounts of blood around him."

Suddenly they hear the cocking of a gun.

The three of them turn guns raised to find J.J being roughly held by a large sleeveless man with the muzzle of his gun jammed into her temple. Her gun was sticking out of his right back pocket.

The agents and officer point their weapons at him.

"Tut-tut-tut agents that is a really bad idea, see, if you want this pretty young thing to live you had best put those down. Or else me and my friends here will have to take drastic measures."

Out of her peripheral, Emily could see three other men appear out of the shadows with their guns pointed in her direction.

She and Morgan exchange a look, both understanding that they were outmatched. She slowly begins to lower her weapon, Morgan and Officer Holland following suit.

J.J continues to struggle but stops when the gun is jammed further into her temple and his grip tightens.

"Good work agents, and officer, now firearms on the floor-slowly- and on your knees with your hands on your head. Any sudden movements and you all die. Simple."

They follow his instructions carefully placing their guns on the ground and getting on their knees.

"I really didn't think it was going to be this easy. When the boss said 'go after the agents' I expected more _resistance_ from America's best." he says with a harsh laugh. "What a load of horseshit."

He throws J.J to the ground.

Emily sees red but is unable to help her friend as she gets up slowly.

" You join your friends. Knees and hands." J.J complies catching Emily's eye. Fear and slight pain passed by for an instant before settling on resolve. She sends a small nod as reassurance to Emily that she is alright.

The man aims his gun at Emily, "Now what to do while we wait." Just as he takes a step towards her a black blur rushes in from his left. The blur grabs his outstretched right arm with his gun pinned behind her back. Ace shifts her body so the gun is pointed at the goon standing behind Morgan as the large man fires his gun, hitting his friend square in the chest. She then wrenches the gun out of his hand from behind her back by bending and crushing his wrist under her arm. He pitches forward slightly, which she uses to twist his arm behind him and locking it in place. The thugs standing behind Emily and Officer Holland try to shoot the lightning fast agent but end up hitting their friend with their barrage of shots. As the mercenary falls to the ground, Ace grabs J.J's Glock from his back pocket and rolls smoothly to the side. With both guns she places a swift shot between the eyes on the man behind Holland and a shot into the right shoulder of the man behind Prentiss, causing him to drop his firearm. Morgan lunges at the man and takes him to the ground, swiftly cuffing him and kicking his gun away.

All of this happens in the span of seconds, which leaves Emily, J.J and Holland frozen with shock. Ace calmly walks over to J.J and kneels in front of her.

"I think you misplaced this," she says, handing J.J back her gun.

The blonde agent nods as she stared incredulous at the young assassin. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. It looks like you're gonna need a little ice though." She says pointing to the bruise that was forming on the blonde's temple. "That sonofabitch. I should have gotten here sooner. Would have too if it wasn't for that stupid door..." she mutters.

"Agent Hotchner, everyone is secure, we have 3 mercs dead and one wounded. I shot him in the shoulder and he should be fine for us to grill. We were lucky in that aspect. We also have the dead agent in here. Oh and J.J might need a bit of ice." she says into her mic.

She waits as Emily assumes she is listening to Hotch talk back "The ass stuck his gun in her face so I made sure he paid for it. Tell the medics to meet us outside. I want to leave this place."

Emily stands up and helps J.J up, both agents brushing dust off their pants and holstering their weapons.

Ace turns to Morgan and Officer Holland, " If you two don't mind escorting our _friend_ here out, I will be right behind you with J.J and Agent Prentiss."

Morgan nods, sending a silent apology for his earlier actions to the young assassin.

"All is forgiven Agent. You were only trying to protect your family. You just didn't realize that I am trying to protect them too."

Morgan smiles at her before grabbing the moaning merc and leading him out with Officer Holland following.

Ace turns to Emily, "Are you alright Agent?"

"A little dusty but other than that fine. Please call me Emily, I think saving someone's life is grounds to be on a first name basis."

Ace chuckles, "Well then Emily, let's get out of here before we gather any more dust."

"You really don't need Kevlar do you?" Emily says as they start heading out of the warehouse, both dark haired women keeping a close eye on J.J.

"It's not that I don't. It just inhibits movement. I sacrifice protection for a bit more mobility. Plus I don't want to give myself a false sense of security. Just because I have a vest doesn't guarantee not getting hit."

"True enough. Nice shots back there. You might even have a better shot than J.J" Emily says with a wink at the blonde. Everyone at Quantico was well aware of the blonde's skills at the firing range.

J.J turns to Em with mock indignation, "I wouldn't say that." she then smiles as she turns to Ace, "In all seriousness, you have an impressive shot. Probably better than me, especially since you weren't even using your own gun!"

"Practice makes perfect." says Ace, "I am sorry that I wasn't there sooner. That damn door was so rusted we almost had to shoot the hinges off. There happened to be a window nearby that I climbed into. I was going to go and try and open the door from the inside when I overheard that pig talking. I told Hotchner to head to the front as backup as I snuck around to try and find a vantage point." she says with slight anger, "Damn mercs, they always cause trouble. Whomever this idiot is who is organizing all of this, they have money. Those thugs may not have been top notch but they were good. Not good enough though. But enough to cost at least several million. The body set up, and ambush...this needs time and planning."

The three women reach the gate where there is an ambulance waiting for them. Hotch approaches them and frown at the bruise that has appeared in full glory J.J's right temple.

" J.J can you get that looked at please? Even just a little ice would be great." Hotch says with worry.

"I'm fine Hotch, really. Things could have been worse. I will get an ice pack though." she says before heading towards the paramedic.

Hotch turns to Emily and Ace, "Glad you are both safe. Local PD and the Bureau are sending people to process this entire scene. We will aid the investigation once they have a better idea of what is going on. I have to phone Strauss to tell her what happened. Keep an eye on J.J for me?" he turns and leaves, his phone already out and dialing.

Ace turns to Emily, onyx meeting chocolate, when Emily gets that nagging suspicion that she has seen those eyes before. The young assassin begins, "Emily, I know we don't have much time before we join the others but I have to speak with you, alone." she looks around before continuing, "I keep on seeing this look in your eye. You remember me don't you? It's kinda funny cause most people who meet me don't live to see tomorrow. Many people meet me once and then will never hear from me again. But funny enough I have met you two times before."

Emily gapes in shock at the young assassin, "How could I have met you twice but not remember either time who you were?"

"Well you see, the first time was at your mother's New Year's masquerade party several years ago- almost ten years ago if I remember correctly. I was really young and of course, masked. I remember you though. Even with a mask you were easily recognizable. We chatted next to the punch bowl, making fun of politicians who were clearly inebriated and the others who were pretending to be inebriated. I wasn't there long so I don't expect you to remember much."

Emily laughs as she conjures up that particular memory of that somewhat disastrous party. " I remember! You had that really nice suit on and I was curious about why someone so young was at my mother's ridiculous party."

"Well I had business to deal with- I didn't kill anyone there!- so I popped by for a couple of hours. I had an invite after all." she says with a smirk.

Emily raises a questioning eyebrow.

"Lets just say I know people who know people." the assassin responds.

Her face grows serious, "The second time was not as...pleasant lets say." she glances around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, "The second time I met you, your name was Lauren Reynolds."

* * *

**Sorry for the slight cliffy. Any and all mistakes are mine.**


End file.
